Only the Beginning
by ALPHAomega239
Summary: A Curse Lifted. A Savior Born. A Weapon Unleashed. In the wake of magic's sudden arrival, the world's greatest legends must unite to survive…or risk losing everything they love. There's no telling what will happen. Because this is Only the Beginning.
1. The Sleeping Beauty

**This is just an AU idea that's been in my head since Season Two. More information can be found at the chapter's end. In the meantime...****Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again."_ - **C.S. Lewis**

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

_Philip looked out on the realm, taking in the forsaken landscape below. Draemir was even more ravaged than he expected. Time had greatly changed the kingdom he once knew as his second home. It was now a barren wasteland of withering plants and dying animals, of memories cleaving to broken stones and secrets lying in the shadows._

_The Prince felt his steel resolve begin to crack as he urged his horse onward. Despite his companion being only a few feet away, Philip felt extremely vulnerable on the threshold of completing a quest that had consumed him. But he was determined not to let the past keep him from reuniting with the only woman he ever loved._

_Far in the distance rose the high walls and lofty towers of King Stefan's palace, a citadel of sand-worn stone quietly beginning to give way. The once magnificent structure towered over the vast expanse of desert, its numerous turrets and parapets wavering in the brutal heat. Although much time had passed since he last set foot in Draemir, Philip had never thought about returning to face ghosts that were thought long-forgotten…until now._

_As his steed thundered toward his beloved's resting place, Philip found himself looking back on their history together. It had been the one thing that motivated him to keep fighting, the only thing he had left to remember her by. The Prince suddenly came to, shaking his head to clear it as he saw the unguarded castle gates come into view. This was no time to fall victim to the haze of memory._

_Bringing his horse to a sudden halt, Philip threw himself out of the saddle and craned his neck to look at the ivy-covered outer wall. After all this time, he had reached his destination. He had found her._

_"Philip!"_

_The Prince spun around, one hand grasping the hilt of his sword. But his fingers quickly released the weapon the moment he saw the person who called out to him. Having traveled with the valiant warrior several times before, Philip knew his companion took great lengths to preserve anonymity. A helmet of polished steel glinted brightly in the sun, concealing the face underneath. All that could be seen of the warrior's face was a thin slit of flesh and two dark brown eyes._

_"We should hurry," the warrior said over the howl of the desert winds. "If we're going to start our journey back, we should leave before nightfall."_

_Philip nodded in agreement before gently nudging his horse onward with a short click of his tongue. With the warrior following every step he made, the Prince made his way toward the massive palace gates. There the barrier remained open and unguarded, admitting them entrance into the main courtyard. __The spacious external hall had become void of life, its former grandeur destroyed by many years of neglect. The music and merriment that once filled the great castle with life was replaced by silence. __Philip felt his body shudder as he instinctively recalled the days of Stefan's reign, the days when grand balls were constant and anyone, prince or pauper, could fall in love. But things were different now. What had always been was now gone forever and could never be replaced._

_A gust of wind brought Philip back to reality, forcing him to look up at the dais shrouded in briars and the large marble bier that stood in its center. Everything was just as he remembered it, untouched by time. But it was not the haunting memory that made his breath suddenly catch in his throat. It was the sight of Aurora lying in repose that caused Philip's eyes to well up with tears._

_In that moment, the young Prince felt the anger inside him begin to swell like a volcano on the precipice of erupting. He let out a terrifying scream, racing toward the dais with his unsheathed sword held high. Philip then raised the bladed weapon and cut through the mass of thorns with one swift stroke before allowing his gaze to rest on Aurora's face. __Her lustrous brown hair was fanned out beneath her, __a circlet of rhinestones and ribbon nestled amongst its locks. Her skin retained __the faint hint of a blush, her lips their __pink tinge. __Even in eternal sleep, she was as beautiful as the day they first laid eyes on each other__. __  
_

___The Prince sheathed his sword ____as he approached the bier's right side__. An errant tear made its way down his cheek, silently falling to the ground, but Philip paid no attention. _He could not wait any longer, not after all that he had been through. He _missed her smile, her laugh, even the way her eyes would blaze with a fiery passion when she spoke to him. The Prince couldn't bear to think about the ramifications of failure. What he did know that he had to do this. He had to because it was now or never._

_Philip was just about to bring his face closer to that of his betrothed when something in the recesses of his mind made him stop. In all the stress and confusion of the journey, he had completely forgotten how Aurora would react when she learned the truth.__Of course if nothing happened, Aurora would remain under the Sleeping Curse's influence and he would become a shell of a man. But despite everything, Philip knew that the love in his heart was true. He knew that it was a love that withstood the test of time, a bond that could never be broken._

_Looking up to face his companion, Philip said in a low voice, "If this works, we don't tell her everything. Not right away." The warrior responded with an affirmative nod, without even saying a single word. _

_Philip closed his eyes and leaned down once again, lips parting to let one final breath glide over his beloved's skin. Then, at last, he kissed Aurora. He poured his heart and soul in that one tender kiss, desperately hoping that her vivid blue eyes would open. He prayed that he could be able to see her alive again, even if it was for the last time._

_But as his lips pressed against her cold lifeless ones, Philip felt a shock of energy ripple outwards and fill him with an incomparable happiness that grew stronger with each passing second. The Prince slowly pulled back and had retreated mere inches away when suddenly Aurora's eyes opened, her breath expelling in a surprised gasp. Joy began to overtake him, washing through his soul as a grin spread across his features. He had finally done it._

_"Philip..." __The soft, gentle voice made him look down at his beloved, their eyes instantly connecting. "You came back."_

_"Yes, Aurora." Relief slipped through the words he was speaking as she smiled back at him playfully, sitting up to face him. _

_"I told you not to come after me." Philip's head shook slightly with laughter as he sealed her playful lips with a genuine kiss. He never wanted to leave her again, not after everything he had been through. As long as Aurora was in his arms, Philip felt his happy ending was finally in sight._

_Suddenly Philip felt her pull back from the kiss, concern replacing the joy on her face. Worry began to spread through his veins like a deadly poison as he watched Aurora take in the decrepit monument that was once her home. "How long have I been asleep? What happened?"_

_The Prince felt guilty about lying to the woman he loved, but it was the only way to keep her from learning the inevitable truth. "It doesn't matter. The worst of it's behind us. Now that we're together, we'll restore this castle and our kingdom. As your father dreamt. As _we_ dreamt."_

_"Where is everyone? Why does it need to be rebuilt?"_

_"It's a long story and you, my love, need rest." Philip knew now wasn't the time to answer the questions she had. He would tell her everything when they returned home, or at least their new home._

_"I've had my fill of rest," Aurora replied as she moved to descend from the bier, a hint of acerbic wit in her voice._

_"Then come away with me." Philip reached out, placing his hands on her slender hips as he lifted her down. Now he would gently lay out the truth. "We can leave this place and join our people. They've gathered in a safe haven on Entria's coast."_

_"A safe haven...from Maleficent?"_

_The worry in Aurora's eyes was clearly forcing Philip to further distance her from the anger that would soon come and the pain that would keep her away from him. But the Prince knew it was for the greater good. He knew it was the only way to keep her heart from breaking after it had just been made whole again._

_"No. She can't harm us. Not anymore."_

_"First she goes after my mother, then me. Forgive me if I'm still a bit wary."_

_"Don't be," Philip said as his arms encircled her waist, "There are new dangers now. But _nothing_ we can't handle."_

_The fear that was momentarily etched on her face vanished like smoke as she leaned in for another kiss. As the Prince happily captured her lips in his own, he couldn't help notice his brave companion had moved away from the dais to a small flight of stairs leading to the throne room. Something had caught his friend's eye, something that only meant trouble._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing. It's just…"_

_"Wait." Aurora stopped him mid-sentence, a look of confusion appearing on her face. "Did you feel that?"_

_Before Philip could say another word, a violent roar filled the courtyard as a monstrous creature burst through the tiled floor and sent his comrade flying through the air. It was unlike anything he had ever laid eyes on. The creature lacked any true corporal form, its sole facial attributes consisting only of two boney claws and a pair of blood red eyes that stared at him from behind a black hooded cloak._

_The Prince raced down the stairs, unsheathing his sword as he passed the warrior's unconscious form. Then, before he could speak, Philip found himself face-to-face with the creature. He raised the weapon that once belonged to his father and swung it wildly at the monstrous thing with all his might. The creature let out another __rage-filled shriek before taking to the skies, disappearing from sight. Phillip, somewhat confused by what had just transpired, looked down to see a small circular object lying on the ground at his feet. An object that could only have come from the creature's neck._

_Phillip knelt down, taking the small circular object in his hands. It was a pendant of solid gold, a necklet that was similar to those the ladies of King __Stefan's c__ourt used to wear – elegant yet dignified at the same time. But this was different. There was a single mark engraved on one side, a mark that he had never laid eyes on before._

_"What was that thing?" Phillip got to his feet as he face Aurora, who now stood beside him. She was still visibly shaken by the creature's intrusion._

_"Something bad." He looked at the medallion in his hand, knowing that this creature, whatever it was, would be only one of many dangers they would have to face._

* * *

When I saw the Pilot for "Once Upon A Time," I became an instant fan. But while I liked Season Two in terms adding new characters and new storylines, I felt that it was weak in certain spots. Then I met a writer named **TongueMarksonmyMirror** - who you may know as the author of "Dear Storybrooke."

So we started to collaborate and buff it up. After adding and deleting storylines, trimming bad scenes and adding new ones, keeping characters and killing off characters, we came up with a Fanfic that we both agree you will love. And I must say that it really re-rounds out the season as a whole in terms of story.

"Once Upon A Time" is property of both the Walt Disney Company and the American Broadcasting Corporation. All characters and plot lines are not my own, save for any and all changes or additions. Although I may use quotes from episodes in the future, no copyright infringement is intended.


	2. Broken

Hello again. Now we speed things up a bit and get to the good stuff. Disclaimers and more information can be found at the chapter's end. In the meantime...Enjoy!

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

**New York, New York**

**March 20th, 2012**

_I'm so screwed. _That same phrase has been in my head for two weeks and I still can't seem to wrap my head around it. It just doesn't seem real. How could she be gone? How was it possible?

I keep walking down Fifth Avenue, hands in my pockets and iPod headphones in my ears. Lou Reed is one of my favorite artists, but I'm not in the mood to hear "Charley's Girl." It was another day in the Hell everyone else refers to as the_ office_.

Time passes slowly here, in this city that never sleeps, where I am one of almost nine million. All these people are strangers, anonymous people confined to a life they can't escape from. We eat and drink, work and play, laugh and cry, argue and make love.

Only in Manhattan is every day like the last.

I ignore the horse-drawn carriages that's line the streets. Even though I have grown attracted to these magnificent creatures, I am too pissed to stop walking. I cross the street instead, ignoring the pigeons as they take flight, flying far from reach.

Everything becomes a blur. I reach Fifth Avenue. I board the subway. I stand in the middle of the car. I reach my stop. I walk up the steps leading to the surface. Only when I arrive at my building does time resume its normal pace.

The sound of thunder reaches my ears when I open the door. It's pouring outside and the window is wide open. I remember watching "GMA" this morning; Sam Champion saying it would rain. I didn't listen. Now I'm none too pleased to see this torrential downpour.

I throw my backpack onto the bed, moving to close the window. I try to force it closed when it jams halfway, only to let go of my iPhone and watch it fall onto the fire escape two stories down. Today is not a good day.

A dove suddenly flies through the window, landing on the windowsill. There's a card stuck to its foot, which I am unable to comprehend. The bird rids itself of the object and takes off once more, leaving me unable to comprehend what has just occurred.

I pick the card up off the windowsill only to nearly stagger backwards. I recover and try to make sense of the handwritten message. It's brief yet very direct, comprising of a single word: "_Broken._"

The word triggers something within me, turning back the hands of time; bringing me back to a conversation in Vancouver eleven years ago.

_"If anything changes, and she does her job, this insanity ends – and she's free..."_

_"I'll send you a postcard."_

I'm not sure about the author's gender, but I know the message came from August. Even after blackmailing me, the bastard kept his promise. There's no doubt about that.

I turn the card over to find a faded picture that looks like it was taken in 1984. It shows a clock tower framed by the clear blue sky, situated next to a pre-printed statement:

"GREETINGS FROM STORYBROOKE, MAINE"

I look out at the Manhattan skyline, confident that I will find a way. There has to be a way. There is _always_ a way.

I know there's no turning back. Not this time. She's going to see me again, whether she likes it or not. Even if it's my last act on the planet, I'm going to finish what I started.

I'm going to find Emma Swan.

* * *

**Storybrooke, Maine**

Mary Margaret Blanchard stood in Main Street's center, reeling from the snatches of memory surfacing in her mind. Memories of her homeland, of her past life as Snow White. But while she was content to have David – no, _Charming_ – hold her in his arms forever, the thick purple smoke and what it meant was a far more pressing issue. Out of all the questions that were taking form, this was the one that managed to consume her most.

As the smoke thinned, giving way to the bright blue of the sky, Mary Margaret reluctantly pulled away from her husband, taking in the scene before her. Storybrooke was barely awake at 8:15 in the morning, a theory supported by the fact that there were few people lingering on the streets. But there was an eerie silence hanging in the air, a silence that was slowly penetrating her very being. Although Mary Margaret tried to disguise her growing apprehension, it was getting to her.

"Something's not right." Mary Margaret turned to face her husband as he surveyed the deserted town square. "If the curse is broken, that should have taken us home."

"So what happened?"

"Let's find out. Together." She felt his fingers entwine with hers as they began to walk down Highland Avenue, looking for other signs of life. Seeing her beloved still alive made Mary Margaret's heart start to ache. This time, _nothing_ and _no one _would keep them apart. Not King George, not Regina, not even Rumpelstiltskin's dark magic. She knew they would always be together no matter what stood in their way.

"Snow!" The familiar voice prompted Mary Margaret to look up as Ruby – no, _Red_ – locked her in a tight embrace. It became apparent that she was scarcely able to believe what had transpired in the last few moments. Mary Margaret pulled back, tears streaking down her cheeks, and pulled Granny into a squeeze as Ruby did the same to Charming.

"Your Highness." The familiar title suddenly began to feel foreign as it caused another tidal wave of memories to pour into Mary Margaret's head, memories of a life when she was more than just _Miss Blanchard_. She turned to face Leroy – no, _Grumpy_ – and the other six dwarves who risked their lives for hers. They removed their hats and bowed respectfully as she smiled at them, but the formality lasted mere moments before joining them as they formed a group hug.

"The Curse...is it broken?" Mary Margaret heard Doc ask as she pulled back, smiling at her friends' show of affection.

"It appears so," Charming said as he and Grumpy both clasped hands. During the Battle for Kendran, the two quickly became friends as well as occasional drinking buddies – except for that one time when she caught them sneaking around in the dead of night and had their whiskey supply cut off for an entire month.

"So what do we do now?" The moment Ruby spoke those words, Mary Margaret felt a single thought cause all the apprehension to evaporate into thin air. There was only one thing she wanted to do now, only one other person she had to see.

"Now..." she said aloud with a steely resolve in her voice, "Now I find my daughter."

"So it's true."

Everything came to a thundering halt as Mary Margaret turned around to face the blond woman standing a few feet away, staring right at them with pure disbelief. She could hardly breathe. Nothing could describe what she was feeling or what she was seeing. This was the person her little girl had become. This was _her_ daughter, _her_ Emma.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Mary Margaret slowly walked forward, unable to control her hands as they stretched out to feel Emma's face. The instant her gloved fingertips touched skin, she knew this was not an illusion. This was all real.

"You found us..." Mary Margaret allowed the tears to flow as she held her child next to her, joy and relief shining through the now-broken mask. She felt Charming join their embrace, caressing the back of Emma's head, his eyes welling with fresh tears. Neither one of them could believe it. After all this time, after twenty-eight years, they were a family again. They were finally reunited.

"Grandpa?" The blissful moment interrupted, Mary Margaret let out a single laugh through her tears as she looked down at her grandson, the boy who started it all and brought them together.

"Yeah, kid. I suppose so," Charming said with a broad grin as he pulled Henry close in a tender move. Mary Margaret smiled at the thought of them spending time together. But her thoughts of what the future had in store were swept away when she saw Emma looking like she was about to collapse.

"I still can't believe I did it."

"You saved us," Charming said as he wrapped his arm around her, "That's all that matters."

"You saved all of us," Mary Margaret agreed. "And we are so proud of you..."

"But why didn't you go back?"

That was a question Mary Margaret was unprepared for. She had always assumed Henry knew everything. She didn't have all the answers when she was just his fourth grade teacher. But if his book left out a key detail as to what happened after the Dark Curse was lifted, then they had a serious problem on their hands.

"She's *achoo* right," exclaimed Sneezy as he rubbed his nose. "And what was that smoke?"

Suddenly, everyone was speaking at once, questions and interjections overlapping, building to a cacophonous crescendo.

"...who would do this..."

"...shouldn't be here..."

"...came out of nowhere..."

"...hope it doesn't come back..."

"...what _was_ that..."

"Magic."


	3. IMPORTANT

**HEY ALL.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter; it took a while to write. **

**So anyway, I'm writing this to apologize for Chapter Two. It's taking a while to update.**

**Also, as far as the storyline for "Broken" goes, things will start changing around the scene where the mob arrives at Regina's house. And be prepared for some major revelations. **

**Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, or following. And again, sorry for the long update**


End file.
